It might be the middle of "dry January" for some folks, but bartenders, caterers, and mixologists are continuing to shake things up in the new year with inventive ingredients, cool concepts, and surprising serving vessels. Here's a look at what's behind the bar right now.
Thanks to its purported detoxification properties, activated charcoal has become a dark-horse ingredient contender in the beverage industry. Because it tastes neutral, the potent powder has been added to lemonade, green juices, protein shakes, and, ironically, cocktails. For example, Pouring Ribbons in New York’s East Village serves up The Heart of Darkness ($15) with tequila, lime, mezcal, raspberry, and activated charcoal.
In November, Proposition 64 passed in California, which legalized recreational marijuana for adults. To celebrate, True North Tavern in San Diego’s North Park neighborhood created the Prop 64 ($19) with Amarillo hop bitters, egg whites, lime simple syrup, Chareau aloe liqueur, and Nolets gin, all topped with non-psychoactive drops of cannabis oil. The oil is a cannabinoid extract from hemp stalk and is supposed to induces elation, hunger, thirst, and physical relaxation.
For a "healthy" start to the new year, many restaurants and bars are now serving a host of low-ABV cocktails, which typically means the drinks have an alcoholic strength by volume (ABV) of between 0.5 and 1.2 percent. Faro in Brooklyn offers the Negroni Sbagliato, which contains Contratto bitters and Italian red vermouth, topped with sparkling wine. Apparently the drink was invented accidentally by a bartender who had used red sparkling wine instead of gin in a traditional Negroni (“sbagliato” is Italian for “mistaken”).
Inspired by Jell-O shots, Spoonable Spirits are alcoholic puddings and jellies served in mini mason jars. Each containing 5 percent alcohol by volume, the boozy desserts come in flavors such as Naughty Nutel-Latte (a chocolate latte-flavored pudding shot topped with Nutella and chocolate chips), Raspberry Rose Gin & Tonic (a gin-and-tonic jelly shot muddled with rosewater-infused raspberries), Spiked Cake Shake (a milkshake-flavored pudding shot with sprinkles), and more. Original flavors cost $25 per set of five jars for orders of 1 to 10 sets, $22 for 11 to 20 sets, and $20 for 21 or more sets; customized Spiked Cake Shake Pudding costs $30 per set of five jars for orders of 1 to 10 sets, $27.50 for 11 to 20 sets, and $25 for 21 or more sets. Delivery fees apply to orders inside and outside of Manhattan, and nationwide delivery is available. Plus, a catered display with a Spoonable Spirits server, signage, table setting, and toppings bar is available for $40 per hour; each additional server is $25 per hour.
Ideal for swag bags for conference attendees, the new F1 Mini Bar Kit ($65) from travel accessory brand Flight 001 includes four mini glass bottles, two metal flasks, a funnel, a stir spoon, and a cocktail recipe booklet, all packaged in a zippered protective case to combat any turbulence and tipsiness.
The Grand Bevy provides bar service and beverage programs for social and corporate events across the U.S. and internationally, including fully customized menus, molecular mixology classes, and “SipMí” cocktails. The innovative technique allows hosts and guests to feature any high-resolution color image such as selfies and logos on top of a cocktail. The Grand Bevy services are available in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, and will be expanding soon into France, Germany, and the U.K. Pricing is available upon request.
Designed for outdoor events like pool parties, tailgating, and camping, BuzzBallz are ready-to-drink cocktails made with juice and 15 percent ABV vodka, rum, or tequila, each packaged in portable, single-serve containers that are stackable, recyclable, and unbreakable. The drinks are available in 15 different flavors such as Pineapple Passion, Watermelon Smash, and Strawberry Rum Job. They cost about $2.99 per ball and are available in retail stores throughout the U.S.
U.K. bar supplier Bespoke Barware recently launched its range of cocktail barware in the U.S. The hand-made ceramic designs include the likenesses of author Ernest Hemingway, the Blue Lady from Vladimir Tretchikoff’s painting, the Mount Rushmore presidents, and skull mugs in a selection of colors. The mugs cost $20 and higher; wholesale sets of 12 start at $150. All mugs are shipped from Texas. A wider selection of designs can be shipped to the U.S. upon request as well. Plus, all products are dishwasher safe.
Parker Boase and Gregory Lucas, co-founders of Liquid Lab NYC, said that the spice best known for curry is becoming increasingly trendy ingredient in the beverage industry, including in the duo’s own Turmeric Gin Fizz, which is a twist on a classic Ramos Gin Fizz. “We’ve flipped it on its head,” they explained, using home-made turmeric-infused simple syrup, London dry gin, fresh lime, and Fee Brothers Burlesque Bitters, topped with a dash of ginger beer.
In addition to cocktails, turmeric-infused syrups, tinctures, and bitters will also be popping up in drinks as well. The Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based company offers mixology classes, customized cocktail catering, and consulting.
These cocktails are inspired by old-school Capri Sun drink pouches—but an adults-only version. Found at Thursday Kitchen, a casual New York restaurant serving Korean eats with French and Spanish influences, the whimsical concoctions ($9) come in four flavors (lemon, strawberry, lychee, and cucumber) and are mixed with soju, a vodka-like rice liquor.
Spurred by the booming sparkling water business and the popularity of vodka-sodas, SpikedSeltzer founders Nick Shields and Dave Holmes decided to marry the two trends, launching an alcoholic seltzer brand in 2013. Popular with brides and social event hosts, the boozy sparkling water comes in four flavors (West Indies Lime, Valencia Orange, Indian River Grapefruit, and Cape Cod Cranberry) and contains 6 percent ABV with 140 calories, plus it’s gluten-free. Based in Norwalk, Connecticut, the company currently sells its products in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington D.C., Georgia, California, Bermuda, and the British Virgin Islands via liquor stores and supermarkets; in March, the brand will expand to all 50 states. Prices range from $8.99 for a six-pack of 12-ounce cans to $15.99 for a 12-pack.
Located in New York’s Catskill Mountains, Catskill Provisions specializes in raw, all-natural hand-made products, including pancake mix, maple syrup, chocolate truffles, and honey whiskey. The 80-proof hand-crafted rye is infused with honey from the region, giving it a hint of sweetness. It can be sipped on its own or blended into a cocktail such as an old-fashioned or a Wicked Bee’s Knees along with elderberry liqueur, lemon juice, and maple syrup. The whiskey ($43.75) is available for purchase online and at retail stores in the New York area.
